Damian Priest on Winning, Losing, and the Pursuit of Excellence

“That whole day, it was insane”

Damian Priest knew he was winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40.

Priest was scheduled to cash-in his Money in the Bank title contract on Drew McIntyre almost immediately after he won the belt, and he couldn’t wait for the moment to arrive.

At least, that was the plan.

In professional wrestling, there are precious few guarantees. But one is that plans are bound to change, leaving a trail of shattered dreams along the way.

“That whole day at WrestleMania 40, it was insane,” said Priest. “So many things had already changed. The closer we got to it, many people who are very, very smart came up to me and said, ‘Things can change.’ So you never know. I knew things could change, even up to the last minute.”

As Priest got dressed backstage, a sense of excitement captured his soul. When he arrived at the Gorilla Position to watch McIntyre defeat Seth Rollins for the title, he knew there was no turning back. His time had arrived.

“I was sitting in Gorilla for the whole match, laser-focused on the match,” said Priest. “I had to, otherwise I’d have gone crazy. Then, when the bell rang, that’s when it became real. Like I said, it was insane.”

Priest is proud New Yorker Luis Martinez. He got his start in pro wrestling in 2004, but most of his career was spent in obscurity–until he shed 100 pounds, began receiving opportunities in Ring of Honor, then signed with WWE in 2018.

Punk joined Priest at a live screening of his documentary / WWE

He is the subject of WWE’s newest documentary, WWE 24: Damian Priest, which premiered earlier today on Peacock. The timing is serendipitous, as Priest’s journey overcoming the odds affords people the chance to see a genuine side to the long-time bad guy. And it is airing only two days after SummerSlam, where Priest wrestled a passionate babyface style, connecting with the crowd despite his title loss to Gunther.

In the moments before he walked through the curtain at SummerSlam, he encountered a different type of butterflies. Priest was ready to create a moment for someone else, elevating Gunther to a place he has never been in WWE–world champion.

“It’s inevitable,” said Priest. “When you win this belt, the only guarantee is you’re going to lose it. But I’m not losing sight of what we accomplished. I’m the world champ walking into SummerSlam–that’s crazy.

“And forget for a moment about everything Gunther has said to me and what I’ve said to him. We’re not part of that class of the main guys. We’re seen as strong characters on TV, but we’re not Seth Rollins, we’re not Punk, we’re not Drew or Roman. We’re not the regularly scheduled programmed guys. AJ, Randy, Finn, we’re none of those guys. The fact it was Gunther and me in this high-profile world title match, that’s big. There were so many boys and girls in the locker room who were like, ‘One of us made it.’ That was my favorite part, hearing my peers talk about when it meant to them.”

Priest is now chasing Gunther, who is the new World Heavyweight Champion / WWE

The future is filled with uncertainty for Priest. The Judgement Day is in shambles after Dom Mysterio turned on Rhea Ripley, which multiplied further when Finn Balor cost Priest the match–and the title–against Gunther.

Yet this upcoming stretch is a blank canvas–a chance for Priest to redefine himself.

Priest has never been a main-event babyface in WWE. That reality is within reach. The finish at SummerSlam helped; Priest was sabotaged by his jealous best friend, then refused to submit to Gunther, losing only when he passed out.

“As much as I accomplished, there’s still so much more,” said Priest. “My dreams were to wrestle at WrestleMania and win a world title. Now there are new goals. I’m hungrier now than ever.”

All along, Damian Priest was destined to be a babyface / WWE

The WWE 24: Damian Priest documentary highlights Priest’s ascent in pro wrestling, as well as introduces him to viewers on a much deeper level. He discussed the significance of the project in depth at a live screening in Cleveland on Friday, where he was joined onstage by the likes of CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, and Dominik Mysterio. Priest even cut an impassioned promo after Gunther interrupted the Q&A portion of the screening, which garnered instant applause from the crowd.

Now available to watch on @peacock. @WWE 24 pic.twitter.com/TFYsyVidur

— Damian Priest (@ArcherOfInfamy) August 5, 2024

Combining the documentary with Priest getting time to express himself on the microphone could lead to new heights for one of wrestling’s giants. Priest is honored to share his story, putting forth the type of authenticity that will carry him as a babyface.

“I’d seen a rough cut, but watching all of it, it really hit me,” said Priest. “I’ve been hated for so long. There were so many people there at the screening. It felt special. People supporting me, that felt good.

“I’ve been [babyface] before, but it wasn’t always me. This is me. And it’s cool to have people support me not because they’re told to, but because they want to.”